Council Member - Past

Dr. Dorsett is a Foster Care Alumni who spent 16 years of her childhood in foster care until she aged out after high school. She worked at a state and national level with Foster Care Alumni of America, FosterClub and the National Foster Care & Alumni Policy Council. She has... Read more

Karen Esparza Lopez was born in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and raised in a small rural town in Florida called Ruskin. Karen was placed in the foster care system at the age of 15. Unfortunately, she was separated from her two younger siblings while in foster care. Karen changed schools five times... Read more

Johnoi Shaw is a Jamaican National that came here in his early teens and ended up in care. He obtained his Bachelor’s of Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience and aspires to get a degree in nursing. After experiencing and witnessing discrimination because his of sexual orientation, he decided to... Read more

Christina is an alum of California State University San Bernardino where ze received zir degree in Arabic Language, Literature, and Culture with a minor in Political Science. Christina will be attending the University of Michigan in the Fall of 2020 to pursue a Master's of Social Work with a focus... Read more

Ke'Onda spent 19 years in Florida's foster care system - including time in extended care. During that time, she experienced over 20 different placements in group homes. Currently, Ke'Onda is studying political science and working at United Way in an AmeriCorps Vista position where she supports financial literacy for young... Read more

Born and raised in New Jersey, Stephanie has always had a passion for creating change and giving back to her community. Currently enrolled at Rutgers University, Stephanie hopes to become a professional in the field of civil rights. Her passions include advocacy for youth in foster care, disability rights, accessibility... Read more

Recognized as an Outstanding Young Leader by Foster Club in 2019, Courtney has utilized her unique lived experience in Washington State’s foster care to make a positive impact on the system she and her sibling were forced to navigate. She has spent time in employment roles as a Case Manager... Read more

Brittney Lee experienced 17 foster homes in the span of 17 years of her childhood. Brittney’s current aspiration is to utilize her growth and knowledge gained from resilience, community involvement and employment opportunities with youth who have experienced foster care. She consistently involves herself in community conversations on child welfare... Read more

Alex McFarland is a young activist passionate about improving educational and workforce outcomes for foster youth. As an alumnus of Ohio’s foster care system, he leveraged his first-hand experience aging out to advocate and elevate the voices of youth in out-of-home care beginning at 17 years old. He served as... Read more

Brittany P. Mihalec-Adkins is a former foster youth (Indiana) and Lived Experience Expert. Brittany is completing her PhD in Human Development and Family Studies at Purdue University (expected: August 2022), where she has also completed a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology, Bachelor’s Degrees in Psychological Sciences and Law & Society,... Read more